Stop With The Plastic

As the worlds population continues to grow, and so does the amount of garbage that people produce. Especially plastic, a material that Mother Nature cannot and will not digest. We are dealing with a big pollution problem otherwise known as plastic pollution. It takes 500-1,000 years for plastic to degrade and sad to say every bit of plastic that has ever been produced still exists and will be on this Earth for hundreds of years to come.

As plastic is composed of major toxic pollutants, it has the potential to cause great harm to the land pollution. First what is plastic? How many people really know what plastic is, and what it is made out of? Plastic is a synthetic material made from a wide range of organic polymers such as polyethylene, PVC, nylon, etc., that can be molded into shape while soft and then set into a rigid or slightly elastic form. Once plastic reaches our environment it breaks down into smaller and smaller particles that attract toxic chemicals and ingested by wildlife on land and in the ocean and then contaminate our food chain.

Constantly surrounded by plastic from bottles to auto bumpers. Grocery bags to the key board I am currently typing on. Tangled grocery bags, smashed water bottles, plastic cups, and straws landing on the beach shores are just a few examples that don't do justice for what the problem has become.

How much plastic are we using a year, according to ecowatch.com,the average American throws away approximately 185 pounds of plastic a year. It doesn't stop there, we also throw away 35 billion plastic water bottles every year, says Brita. From these the plastic goes to the oceans and breaks down into small pieces and a one liter bottle could end up on any beach throughout the world. So what can we do to help the problem is where the list below can help you and Mother Nature out.

Reusable Bags

Carry cloth bags in your car or have them ready to go when you head out to the grocery store. According to inspirationgreen.com, each year an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide. In other words that is over one million plastic bags used per minute. Less than 5 percent of plastic grocery bags are recycled in the United States. By buying a couple of cloth reusable bags is definitely a way to help contribute towards the environment in the form of reducing plastic pollution.

Be Straw Free

Over 500,000,000 plastic straws are produced every day. We use them everyday and do not realize how much damage they do to our planet. These straws end up in our oceans contributing to the pollution. Straws contain BPA, a harmful chemical in many forms of plastic. Plastic straws are one of the top ten littered products picked up on beach clean ups, according to isfoundation.com.

Ban the Bottle

An obvious way to reduce plastic pollution is to stop buying plastic water bottles, please. Last year, the average American used 167 disposable water bottles, yet only recycled 38, this information was found on banthebottle.net. Invest in a metal thermos to carry with you for any sort of liquid, whether it be juices, carbonated drinks, or water.

No More Plastic Containers

We all have multiple plastic containers in our kitchen. It is a known fact that these toxins can leach into whatever they come into contact with. They damage your body on a cellular level and cause health problems. Plastic containers have a toxic compound bisphenol A (BPA) that can be dangerous to you especially to your food that you consume. Instead of plastic containers go for glass or stainless steel containers.

So do your part, cut back on the plastic and make a difference on this planet. You are making healthy changes for yourself, for the animals, and for Mother Nature.